Peruorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a man-made "wonder" molecule which is resistant to environment degradation and can bioaccumulate in nature. The chemical, part of the PFAS family of molecules, was often used in firefighting foam in Australia until it was largely phased out from 2004.

Research by Armidale bee breeder and scientist Carolyn Sonter shows the chemical will wipe out bee colonies even at low concentrations, by halting breeding.

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In a worrying world-first finding, Ms Sonter proved bees pass on the carcinogenic chemical through their honey.

That's particularly concerning because PFOS bioaccumulates, gradually building up concentration as it rises through the food chain.

"I think the fact that we've found it in honey and it's been detected in honey is very concerning, because honey is used in a lot of things, and people eat a lot of honey," she said.

"You don't want to be eating PFAS. How it gets into the honey definitely is an area we need to research more. The fact it's turning up in honey is a huge concern."

Half a century of use and storage of the chemical contaminated several hundred sites across the country, including in Armidale and Tamworth. There is a particularly severe concentration at Williamtown RAAF base, where the chemical has contaminated the local groundwater, creating a local cancer cluster.

It's still unclear how PFOS is actually picked up by bees within contaminated areas, though they can take it up by drinking contaminated water. Plants can take up the compound, but it is not known if it translocates to nectar.

Ms Sonter said she is still working on filling research gaps for PFOS, and is hoping to discover its EC50, the level where it affects half a bee colony.

She hopes her future research will help form the basis of international guidelines on remediating some of the thousands of PFOS contamination sites around the world.

"If we're remediating things in wild areas were there's not so many humans and they're not drinking the water, we need to be remediating it to deal with the most sensitive organism in that area, and a lot of the time it is bees," she said.

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Associate Professor Sue Wilson, of UNE's Pollution Science Research Group, and was a member of the research team, believes that the findings have significant implications for food security and protection of the environment and human health.

"Bees are essential pollinators for wild and managed ecosystems and support a multi-million dollar honey industry. Bee populations are threatened by multiple stressors, and now we know that exposure to PFOS poses another serious threat to pollination," she said.

Ms Sonter said the project had forced her to "literally poison" her "favourite insect".

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"My work with bees has literally been stings, sweat, and tears," she said.

PFOS was invented in 1932 and was used in non-stick cookware, stain resistant carpets, water-repellant clothing, cosmetics, lubricants, paint, pizza boxes and popcorn bags. It's often called a "forever chemical" because it does not break down in the environment.

Almost every living thing in the world is contaminated by PFOS, at low levels.

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